Sewing-machine needle.



PATENTED NOV. 15, 1904.

E. J. HALL. SEWING MACHINE NEEDLE.

APPLIGATION FILED MAR. 12. 1903. RENEWED APR. 14, 1904.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented November 15, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

EVA J. HALL, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO HALL & CLARK NEEDLECOMPANY, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

SEWING-MACHINE NEEDLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 775,036, dated November15, 1904. Application filed March 1 2, 1903. Renewed April 14, 1904.Serial No. 203,205. (No model.)

To all 7117mm, it may concern.

Be it known that I. EVA J. HALL, of Minneapolis, in the county ofHennepin, and in the State of Minnesota, have invented a certain new anduseful Improvement in Sewing-Machine Needles; and I do. hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which-' Figure 1 isa side elevation of a sewing-ma chine needle constructed in accordancewith my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail view in perspective of the upperportion of said needle. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line 3 8 ofFig. 1. Fig. A is a cross-section on the line 4 A of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is across-section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 6 is a detail view inperspective of the upper part or shank of the needle and the spring-endprotecting hood or cap before being united.

My invention relates to sewing-machine needles constructed for threadingwithout passing the thread end wise through the needleeye of the classin which the eye of the needle opens out through one side of the needleand is covered by a spring or flexible strip that is fastened to theneedle below its eye and has its upper end free and covered by-a guardor hood. Needles of this class are shown in my United States Patent No.467,408, dated of the usual construction, having its upperend enlargedin size to form a shank a for its attachment to the needle-bar of thesewingmachine and near its lower or pointed end an eye a, that is openat one side of the needle and is covered thereat' by a slender strip orspring B, which is fastened to the needle by rivetingor otherwise belowthe eye. For the greater portion of its length above the eye the stripor spring B is flat and thin, and its upper portion is round incross-section and extends beneath a guard or hood C, attached to theneedle-shank a. The guard or hood O is attached to the shank by having aslender wire-like extension 0, that is seated in a longitudinal groovein the side of the needle-shank a, the opposite edges of the groovebeing pinched or compressed over said extension. This mode of attachingthe guard or hood to the needle is a cheap one and one by which theguard is most firmly held in place. The outer surface of the guard orcap conforms in shape and size to what would be the shape and size ofthe shank of an ordinary needle at the corresponding point thereof, andit constitutes no projection apt to catch into objects.

The under or inner side of the guard or cap is concave, so as tooverhang the spring end beneath it when the spring is in its normalposition, and thereby thoroughly house said end and restrain it fromlateral or sidewise movement. Behind or beneath the spring end the shankof the needle is cut away to provide a space or cavity a for the springend to move into in the operation of attaching a thread between theguard or hood and the spring end and to accommodate the thread after ithas passed between the spring end and the guard. A short distance belowthe guard or cap the needle has a slight depression or groove (0 adaptedto engage the rounded portion of the spring, and thereby restrain orhold the latter from lateral movement.

The operation of my needle in threading is as follows: As is customaryin threading needles of this description, the thread is held against theside of the spring and carried upward between the upper end of thespring and the guard or cap, the upper end of the spring yielding orpressing inward into the space or cavity behind it, the pressure towhich it is subjected confining it in the groove 0 so that though it maybe free from the overhanging sides of the guard or cap the sides of saidgroove will prevent it moving sidewise. The sides of the groove thusconstitute means to engage the spring when the latter is moved inwardaway from the guard. The thread being carried past the upper end of thespring the latter Will move outwardly into contact with the guard orhood, leaving the thread free in the cavity or space (4 from Which itcan be carried doWn between the spring and the needle until it entersthe needleeye.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is- 1. The combinationof a needle having an open-sided eye, a spring for closing the open sideof the eye having one end free, a guard for the free end of the springthat engages such end When the spring is in normal position and acts torestrain the spring from sidewise movement, and means on the needlebeyond the guard to engage the spring and hold it from lateral movementWhen it is carried out of contact With the guard by the thread in athreading operation, the spring being thus at all times restrained fromside- Wise displacement.

2. The combination of a needle. having an open-sided eye, a spring forclosing the open side of the eye, having one end free, aguard for thefree end of the spring overhanging the sides thereof, the needle havinga notch or recess behind the guard-engaging portion of the spring, andhavinga groove to receive the spring at a point beyond the guard.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing 1 have hereunto set my hand.

EVA J. HALL.

Witnesses:

LOUIE BRUNSWICK, SAM J. LEVY.

